Environmental Farm Plan

Our Food. Our Farms. Our Future

Environmental farm planning aids in Manitoba's reputation of producing safe, high quality food in a sustainable manner while leaving a legacy for future generations.

What is the EFP?

The Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) is a voluntary, confidential, self-assessment of a producer's own farm or ranch delivered in partnership with Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP). Environmental farm planning assists farm managers in identifying agri-environmental assets and risks in order to develop an action plan to help mitigate high risk items. Environmental Farm Planning began in Manitoba in 2004 and continues to be a high priority for Federal and Provincial governments. It is currently supported through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

The Changing Face of EFP

During the Covid 19 epidemic, Manitoba Agriculture delivered EFP Workshops virtually, through GoTo Webinars. This allowed producers to continue to participate in Environmental Farm Plan programming without any risks to health. This also provided a good segueway to a new, electronic system that is currently under development.

Content

The EFP covers all aspects of a farming operation, including farmyards, livestock facilities and management of crop and pasture lands. This allows for a complete assessment of the farm operation and development of a customized action plan to address any associated risks. There is a large emphasis on Agriculture Capability and the correlation between soil limitations and environmental risks (leaching, runoff, soil degradation).

"Farmers are concerned about the environment and keeping it for future generations, but when you go through the workbook, you suddenly realize you could do this differently."

Lorne Rossnagel, cattle and forage producer, Plumas, MB

Workbook Review

KAP has hired reviewers who conduct the review portion of the EFP process in order to maintain confidentiality and to evaluate farmers' EFPs in an unbiased manner. Once the EFP is complete and submitted, a reviewer will evaluate the EFP to ensure it has been completed adequately. Contact KAP directly at 204-697-1140 or kap@kap.ca if you have any questions.

Statement of Completion

After a KAP reviewer has reviewed your EFP to ensure its completeness, you will receive a Statement of Completion (SOC) certificate indicating you completed the EFP process.

Over time, farms and management practices change and plans require updating to remain reflective of the current operation. A Statement of Completion is valid for five years in Manitoba. Upon expiry, the EFP process is to be renewed.

EFP Farm Gate Signs

EFP Farm Gate Signs are available to producers who have completed the Environmental Farm Planning Process. The sign acknowledges your efforts and encourages others to follow your example of using environmentally responsible and sustainable practices on your farm. A copy of your Statement of Completion is required to obtain a sign. If you are interested in receiving a sign, please email ManitobaEFP@gov.mb.ca with "FARM SIGN" in the subject line and further arrangements will be made.

Why is an EFP important?

Canada has long relied solely on our reputation as a clean, safe place to produce food. However, consumers' demand for agricultural products to be sustainably sourced continues to increase.

Contact your local Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development office for more information. By implementing an Environmental Farm Plan, producers are able to:

improve air, water and soil quality
conserve biodiversity on Manitoba farmland
contribute to environmental protection and conservation
Make Manitoba-grown commodities more marketable to environmentally-conscious consumers around the world
demonstrate due diligence by identifying environmental assets and risks on their farm and implementing actions to reduce those risks

"On our farm, it was a great success. It made us feel part of the solution."

Henry Holtmann, dairy farmer, Rosser, MB

"I discovered that relocating my livestock and improving their wintering site could cut back on the cost of fuel, feed and cleaning, and benefit the health of my cattle as well."

Gary Hamm, cattle producer, Morden, MB

Linkages to the EFP

Beneficial Management Practices

Ag Action Manitoba - Assurance: Beneficial Management Practices provides funding that will help farmers and select industry service providers implement beneficial management practices on their operations and help improve the value and health of agricultural land in Manitoba.

Ag Action Manitoba - Assurance: Watershed Ecological Goods and Services provides funding to conservation districts to work with farmers to implement practices that conserve and enhance ecological goods and services (EGS) on the agricultural landscape.

Ag Action Manitoba - Assurance: Agriculture Crown Land Forage Productivity (ACLFP) Pilot Program enables ACL forage lease holders to increase forage productivity and sustainability through the adoption of beneficial management practices that support comprehensive forage management on their crown land forage leases.

Sustainable Sourcing

Sustainable sourcing refers to the use of environmental and social criteria in purchasing decisions, alongside traditional criteria of price and quality. The EFP can serve to fulfill the Environmental pillar of Sustainable Sourcing requirements.

"People, Planet, Profit" - Wilton Group, ON

Market Requirements

Potato Production Chapter

2010: Based on consumer demand, McDonald's requested that their suppliers (McCain's, Simplot, etc.) prove that they were producing potatoes in a sustainable fashion. In response, Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development worked with McCain's to develop a Potato Production chapter for the EFP that meets the requirements of the Potato Sustainability Alliance. As a result, potato producers (processing) in Manitoba with a valid EFP are eligible to qualify for contract.

Field Pea Production Chapter

2018: Roquette has commenced construction on their new pea processing plant in Manitoba

Roquette Pea Processing requires its producers to meet a certain sustainable sourcing standard and has identified the EFP as a best means to achieve this. Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development has collaborated with Roquette and developed a specific Pea Production Chapter. Producers that complete the EFP process, including this pea production chapter will be eligible to qualify for contract.

National Alignment

Across Canada, the EFP is offered in all provinces and the Yukon Territory. The exact content of the EFP differs slightly from region to region. These discrepancies can be cumbersome for buyers who are sourcing products from multiple Canadian regions.

The National Environmental Farm Plan(NEFP) builds upon the existing and historic EFP program, which has widespread support from producers and industry, to develop a whole-farm sustainable sourcing program for Canada. By building a national, consistent standard and defining a baseline of content in each of the regional EFPs across Canada, the NEFP will reduce confusion regarding equivalency between provinces and will also reduce burden on producers in needing to complete multiple programs that aim to achieve the same goal.

National Environmental Farm Plan
Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform)
Farm Sustainability Assessment(FSA)

The NEFP has decided upon alignment with the SAI-FSA V2.0. Once the EFPs are aligned, completion of the regional EFP programs will allow a minimum of FSA Bronze certification for farm managers.

Since 2004, over 7,500 producers have participated and completed an EFP in Manitoba, assessing 10.5 million acres of agricultural land under this program.

For more information, contact your local Manitoba Agriculture Office.